Unit 27 27 (Middle Fork)
The heart of the Frank — Middle Fork sheep, goats, and a whole backcountry menu
Central Idaho — Middle Fork of the Salmon, Frank Church Wilderness (Valley/Custer/Lemhi County) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,536
sq mi
Public land
99%
approx.
Elevation
3,000–10,000
feet
Motorized
wilderness
access
Overview
Unit 27 is a vast, roadless slice of the Middle Fork of the Salmon corridor at the core of the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness. It carries the widest species mix in the region — bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mule deer, elk, bears, and even the odd moose — across more than 1,500 square miles of canyon and high country. Access is exclusively by foot, stock, backcountry airstrip, or river float, and every hunt here is a genuine wilderness undertaking.
Terrain
The Middle Fork carves a mile-deep canyon system with countless steep side drainages, rising to rugged high basins and rocky peaks. Terrain ranges from hot river breaks to alpine goat country.
Cover: Grass-and-brush canyon slopes, ponderosa and Douglas-fir mid-elevations, spruce-fir and whitebark up high, and extensive old burns with brushy regrowth.
Landmarks: Middle Fork of the Salmon River · Big Creek confluence · Loon Creek · Marble Creek · Bighorn Crags · backcountry airstrips (Thomas Creek, Indian Creek area)
Access
Almost entirely designated Wilderness within the Frank Church. No motorized or mechanized travel. Hunters reach the unit by pack stock, backcountry airstrips, multi-day foot trips, or by floating the Middle Fork with a permitted trip. Trailheads on the wilderness perimeter require long approaches to reach hunting country.
Managers: USFS Salmon-Challis NF, USFS Payette NF
Access points: Middle Fork float launch (Boundary Creek) and river camps · Loon Creek / Landmark approaches · Backcountry airstrips (Thomas Creek, Indian Creek) · Bighorn Crags trailhead (Salmon side)
Species notes
Bighorn Sheep
common trophyClassic Middle Fork bighorns on the canyon rims. A coveted, very limited controlled tag with solid success for hunters who commit serious time to the rock country.
- →Glass rimrock, bunchgrass benches, and cliff bands above the Middle Fork and its side canyons
- →Set up a spike or float-based camp and hunt the same rams across multiple days
- →Rams use cliffs as escape terrain — approach from above when possible
Mountain Goat
limited trophyGoats hold in the highest, steepest rock around the Bighorn Crags and alpine peaks. A rare, hard-to-draw controlled tag with high success given how few are issued.
- →Focus the roughest cliff-and-scree alpine terrain above timberline
- →Glass early before goats bed in shade among the rocks
- →Plan careful stalks — goat country is dangerous and falls are the real hazard
Mule Deer
common opportunityThe unit's most-harvested big game. Bucks summer in high basins and shift to canyon breaks with weather; general-season framing over enormous, lightly pressured country.
- →Hunt high basins and timberline early season, then intercept deer on bitterbrush breaks as storms push them down
- →Glass across major drainages at dawn to locate bucks in broken cover
- →Prioritize country you can realistically pack meat out of
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityA meaningful backcountry elk harvest each year despite low percentage success — a function of general pressure and wilderness difficulty, not scarcity.
- →Bugle-locate bulls in September along burn edges and timbered benches
- →Hunt wallows and spring seeps in side-drainage heads
- →Still-hunt old burns where forage meets security cover
Black Bear
abundant qualityExcellent black bear density with frequent color phases. Spring greening south slopes and fall berry crops in the burns hold numbers of bears.
- →Glass avalanche paths, green south faces, and old burns spring evenings
- →Target huckleberry and serviceberry benches in early fall
- →Cross-canyon glassing turns up more bears than sitting one spot
Moose
transient opportunityShiras moose are scarce and scattered through willow-lined creek bottoms and wet meadows; encounters are incidental rather than a reliable target.
- →Check willow bottoms and beaver meadows along Loon Creek and similar drainages
- →Watch riparian pockets at first and last light
Pro tips
- →Decide your access mode — float, fly-in, or stock — before anything else; it shapes the whole hunt
- →For sheep and goats, invest days in glassing before committing to a stalk in dangerous rock
- →Warm September temps and remote pack-outs make meat care and recovery planning critical
- →Coordinate Middle Fork float logistics early; river camps double as excellent hunting basecamps
Watch out for
- !Designated Wilderness — no motorized/mechanized travel, game carts, or e-bikes
- !Mile-deep canyons and alpine cliffs: goat and sheep terrain is genuinely dangerous
- !Remote pack-outs mean any injury or downed animal deep in the unit is a major effort
- !Late-summer wildfire and smoke can close areas and ground backcountry aircraft
Logistics
A full-on wilderness expedition. The realistic ways in are a Middle Fork float trip, a backcountry airstrip landing, or an outfitted stock camp; self-guided foot hunters need days just to reach good country. Line up outfitter, air, or float logistics far ahead, and plan meat handling in warm early-season temperatures.
Nearest towns: Stanley, Challis, Salmon, Cascade (via air)
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Idaho sources:
Research sources: Idaho Department of Fish and Game — Big Game Hunt Planner · USFS Salmon-Challis National Forest — Frank Church Wilderness · USFS Payette National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 27 in Idaho?
- Unit 27 (27 (Middle Fork)) covers about 1,536 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 27?
- Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Salmon-Challis NF, USFS Payette NF. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 27?
- Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Moose. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Idaho agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
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Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.